Farewell 2008... and all the drama that went with it.

Call it an old wives tale or a trendy urban myth. Some people believe that you should choose wisely the things you do on New Year's Eve as you will be bound to repeat them in the coming year. Hence, if you spend the evening happy and among good company, the coming year would carry the hopeful promise of a favorable year filled with close friends and cheerful times to come. If you heed your diet and take good care of yourself, you'll be likely to maintain your girlish figure, remain healthy, etc. I know, common sense infused with crack pot superstition...

And, as expected, the opposite would also ring true. If you find yourself unwillingly dateless at midnight or bickering with your spouse, your coming year would consist of more of the same sad fare. If you're already hugging the toilet at 9 o'clock, you shouldn't expect your poor judgement, lame impulsiveness or excessive drinking habits to improve either.

With that, I sincerely hope that NYE finds my dearest of friends content, blessed and well matched. I pray that should the winds of change cross your path, you emerge more experienced, braver, wiser and not easily scathed. I wish good energy and the sum of all blessings for you all in the coming year. Despite the realities of economic ruin, steadily increasing divorce statistics and rising jobless rates, we should all be so fortunate to simply have each other.

This post was triggered tonight by a conversation I had with a close friend. I'm violently frustrated about my dear girlfriend who faces NYE alone (after making plans and reservations months ago) because her spouse is selfishly blind to her affection, sacrifice and devotion. She longs to spend the evening in his company and to win his adoration and love. He instead longs to pretend he's single and hang out with the guys for this and countless other nights. Some people suggest that she already has it made. "Who cares if he doesn't love you? Just as long as he's highly successful, well connected and can buy most anything you could want?" are rumored to have been said.

Then again, isn't success measured by what you had to sacrifice in order to get to where you're at? I am disinclined to believe that people are successful solely based on their socio-economic status. The majority of well off people I know seem discontent at best, still lacking that which they can never buy: unconditional love, true friends and a real life. Or the girl who's dating the hot, famous athlete. Is she really all that well situated to be with the kind of guy who screws other girls in the bathroom every time they go out clubbing?

I say those are the unfortunate ones. Sooner or later people will find that you can fake a pretty smile, but you can't fake a pretty soul.

I am sincere in my advice to my friend. Hold true to who you are. Because you're great. If he doesn't want to be with you for NYE (or any other time), make damn sure you are with people who do. As much as it depends on you, do the things on NYE that you actually WANT to do for another year instead of doing only what you can tolerate. Be merry with people you love and people who love you.

Thus, my New Year's Eve toast to each of you, near or far is simple: Regardless of where your sun sets, may you always look at the bright side of it. May you have the courage and will to change your life for the better. Last, may all of your joys be pure joys and all of your pain, Champagne. Cheers!